crew | 18 months

It CANNOT be possible that our baby is 18 months already! A year and a half?! No!
He turned 18 months on April 3, 2015

weight: a whopping 32 lbs (as of 2 or 3 weeks ago sick visit to doc)
clothes: 2T
diapers: size 4 in disposables
hair color: Dirty blonde
eye color: VERY dark green/brown
nicknames: Crewboo, pumpkin, baby
eating: He still loves fruit and Mexican food - he definitely has picky spells and we're trying to work past it. I hope he doesn't turn out to be a picky eater like me!
likes: He still loves being in the water and taking baths, entertaining the room, any and every dog, being at church, being outside (so happy for this warmer weather!), he loves reading and learning colors/new words, he loves trains and animals - one of his many talents is that he can do almost any animal noise you ask him. My favorite is the horse! He's very observant to the things around him (especially outside) and loves to listen for airplanes, trains, birds, lawnmowers, trucks - everything!
dislikes: lately he's had fits about his sippy cups - either he doesn't want a certain cup or he'll get mad about his juice:water ratio. Toddlers! He also doesn't like coming inside after he's been playing outside. He'd stay out all day if he could. He can reach the door knobs now so he's always trying to make an escape to get out.

crew | fifteen months

weight: 30 lbs
clothes: 2T
diapers: size 4 in disposables - He grew out of his Sunbaby diapers unfortunately :( We have those chunky thighs to thank for that!
hair color: Dirty blonde
eye color: VERY dark green/brown
eating: Anything he can get his hands on. He is a fruit-eating machine and would live off of just fruit if we let him. He loves Mexican food too...he is so our son!
nicknames: Crewboo, pumpkin
likes: He loves being in the water and taking baths, entertaining the room, any and every dog, Dinosaur Train
dislikes: being told no, getting something taken away from him

Mr. Personality is 15 months already! He loves being the center of attention and showing off for people. If people laugh at him, he'll start clapping for himself and cracking up. He's not a shy one, that's for sure. He takes after Will in that category!

He's a major bookworm. Ever since he could crawl, he's been bringing books to anyone who will read to him. Once one person reads him the book, he'll take the same book to the next person to give them a chance to read too ;) He loves his "100 First Words" book the most and loves to point to each picture when you ask things like "Where are the socks," etc.

He loves to dance...especially to the Thomas theme song and Dinosaur Train - his favorites! Typically the only way to get this little busy-body to sit still for any length of time (like 2 minutes!) is to turn Dinosaur Train on. The photos above and below were from some of those times!

Animal noises he can do:
Horse, cow, dog, cat, sheep, dinosaur, lion, tiger, bear, pig, monkey

Other noises:
train, truck, car

He can pick out the colors red, blue and green.

Words:
mama, dada, nana, poppy, bye bye, amen, night night...I'm sure there are a few more, but they're escaping my mind!

crew is ONE!...and party sneak peek

I can't even believe I'm writing this post right now. There's no way it's possible that my sweet little pumpkin is ONE! He turned one on October 3, 2014. Each new stage becomes my favorite and we just love him to pieces. He's such a joy for our families and I don't even remember life without him.

weight: 27lbs 11oz
clothes: 24 months/2T
diapers: size 4 in disposables and wearing OS cloth
hair color: Dirty blonde
eye color: VERY dark green with some brown
eating: yogurt, any fruits, any pasta, whatever we're eating
nicknames: Crewboo, pumpkin, munchkin
likes: (loves) baths and water, barking at dogs, crawling up and down stairs, showing off, Dinosaur Train
dislikes: getting his clothes changed, diaper changed, or mouth wiped
sleep: 11-12 hours each night and then two naps during the day (morning one is always two hours and afternoon nap is between 1.5-2 hours)

He's really grown this past month. He is now walking and it's so strange seeing him come into a room by walking and not by crawling. He can pick out his red, blue and green ball, pick out his stuffed animals when we ask, growl like a tiger and dinosaur, bark like a dog, and make a truck noise. He's so smart and loves showing off for people.

I'm working part-time now and loving it so much. Being able to spend time with Crew is perfect and I'm hopeful for the day when I can be with him all the time. Crew loves being with his grandmas when they babysit also!

Crew's 1st birthday party was so. much. fun. It was old county fair themed and I cannot wait to show you more photos once I get them back! Here's a sneak peek...

crew | eight to eleven months

Well hello there, blog! Long time no see! I've majorly slacked in posting Crew's updates as well as other life updates, but there has been so much going on lately. I'm trying to write a separate post about that in the next few days.

The eight month update is much more detailed than 9-11 because I was still (somewhat) taking weekly pictures and keeping up with things in my phone. I have almost stopped with the weekly chair pictures (oops), but at least I still have a photo of him every day!

EIGHT MONTHS
weight: 24.5 lbs
clothes: 18-24 months
diapers: size 4 in disposables and wearing OS cloth
hair color: Dirty blonde
eye color: VERY dark blue/green
eating: Breastfeeding, formula, yogurt, bananas, fruit and veggie puree, puffs, yogurt melts, anything he can get his hands on
nicknames: Crewboo, Crewdy, Presh...
likes: (loves) baths and water, his walker and jumperoo, going on walks, any dog, crawling up and down stairs, car keys
dislikes: getting his clothes changed, diaper changed, or mouth wiped, being in the car for too long, getting car keys taken away from him..

This picture perfectly describes our little squirmy wormy right now!

This week was Mother's Day and also the day that Crew learned to blow raspberries. It's hilarious. He started blowing on my shoulder that day because I was wearing a sleeveless dress and hasn't stopped since. He's such a ham!

33 weeks - Crew crawled! It was when I came home for lunch to see him and it really made me day! He was so excited and just got up and crawled right across the living room!

Putting his two first teeth (eight months) to good use!

Crew started pulling up and standing along the furniture at 8-9 months. We officially lowered his crib during that time too!

We cheered for Brasil during the World Cup!

Crew's first sink bath at Lolly and Poppy's. He cracks us up!

Will was in Africa again during this week and we really missed him! It was so different having Crew by myself now that he's on the move!

Crew's first Fourth of July was so fun! Will was still out of the country and we went to our neighborhood parade. It was right in the middle of Crew's nap time so he was falling asleep in the wagon. Crew was the 6th generation of our family to be in the parade!

39 weeks in, 39 weeks out! So hard to believe!

This is worth noting (in my book!): My first night away from Crew was the night before my best friend's wedding! It was in Jackson, MS and since I was a bridesmaid and Will was the officiant, we left Crew with my parents for the night and he came down the next day for the wedding. I missed him like crazy!

Our last night of breastfeeding was when Crew was 9 1/2 months old. He is such a busybody that he had lost all interest in laying still to nurse. After Crew was born I never expected that I would be so emotional about stopping BF. In the beginning I cried because of discomfort...and 9 1/2 months later I was crying because of stopping. Breastfeeding Crew was an amazing journey and unless you've ever been through it, you can never fully understand the bond that you create with your little one. I'm so glad that we exceeded our 6 month goal. I was anxious about quitting because of the emotional side of it, but also because of the physical side of it. I didn't know if I would have to keep pumping or what, but I actually didn't have to do anything. Crew had naturally weaned over the previous 2-3 months so I had no discomfort afterwards and it worked out flawlessly. Crew wasn't interested in savoring the last moment as much as I was!

Swinging is Crew's favorite pastime!

His first haircut was at 10 months - He had a little rattail going on!

First beach trip - Myrtle Beach, SC at 10 1/2 months

ELEVEN MONTHS
weight: 26-27 (at least!)
clothes: 24 months
diapers: size 4 in disposables and wearing OS cloth
shoes: size 5 - the boy has some big feet!
hair color: Blonde
eye color: VERY dark green
eating: formula, green smoothies, pasta/mac-n-cheese, Mexican, Puffs, avocado, scrambled eggs - He will eat most anything (except green beans). He always wants what we're eating so we usually cut it up and give it to him. I'm trying so hard not to make him a picky eater like I am!
nicknames: Crewboo, Pumpkin, Munchkin, Crewdybooty
likes: (loves) baths and water (he would stay in the pool all day if he could! He doesn't want to be in a baby floatie- he wants his face in the water and to be kicking his feet!), strollers, climbing stairs, favorite toys are household objects that aren't toys, swinging, chasing the dogs, Dinosaur Train, music
dislikes: getting his clothes changed, diaper changed (he doesn't want to lay still long enough!), nose or mouth wiped (pure torture!)

Crew has taken a few steps in the last week and it will be a matter of time before he's walking all over the place. His problem is that he wants to RUN- not walk! He won't slow down long enough to steady himself and walk.

I really can't believe that in just a matter of weeks we'll be throwing his first birthday party. There's no way it's been a year already!!

crew | seven months

Behind again. Oh well.

weight: about 23-24 lbs

clothes: 18 months

diapers: size 4 in disposables and wearing OS cloth

hair color: Blonde...though every now and then it looks like it has a reddish tint to it.

eye color: This is such a hard one to figure out. I know that sounds silly, but it really is. The outer rims of his eyes are a dark, dark blue/gray. The inside is a dark green. So much like Will's eyes (minus the blue)

eating: Breastfeeding, formula, yogurt, bananas, fruit and veggie puree, puffs, yogurt melts

nicknames: Crewboo, Crewdy, Presh...

likes: (loves) baths still, his walker and jumperoo, going on walks, any dog

dislikes: getting his clothes changed, diaper changed, or mouth wiped - he thinks we're trying to torture him obviously.

Crew had his six month shots this week. They were awful. I think because he is older now and somewhat knows what's going on is the reason they were worse this month. He cried and cried....and cried. It was terrible. He just got himself all worked up and sweaty and nothing would calm him for the longest time. It was the worst!

This week he started acting weird about bottles. He just wasn't interested in them at all. No idea why, but it did pass thankfully! He's eating baby food twice a day now (breakfast and dinner). He'll usually have yogurt or fruit in the morning and then some kind of veggie puree and fruit at dinner. He's an eating champ!

Crew is thankfully sleeping better again after his 6 month old sleep regression! That was a rough patch in the sleep department there for a while!

He absolutely loves his jumperoo! Worth every penny. He'll work up a sweat from jumping so much!

29 weeks was Crew's first Easter - He was so adorable!!

I spoke too soon on the sleep. This was a rough week again. We think it was due to teething. Poor baby!

We took Crew on his first camping trip this week! (which I have yet to blog about) We were at the Spring River in AR with friends for a day and a half and I was so apprehensive on how he was going to do. Well, he proved me wrong and slept like a champ in his pack n play in our tent. I woke up in the middle of the night umpteen times checking on him because he hadn't moved. I'm so glad that he did so well because camping is something that Will and I LOVE to do and I'm excited to carry on the tradition with our kids!

crew | six months

I'm about two month behind on posting Crew's updates on the blog. Oops. I've tried to keep up with his weekly growth and firsts on my phone though! I also slacked and didn't take his "official" 6 month picture. #yolo

weight: about 22 lbs
clothes: mostly 12 months
diapers: size 3 in disposables and wearing OS cloth
hair color: Blonde...though every now and then it looks like it has a reddish tint to it.
eye color: blue-ish...seems to be turning green/brown like Will's eyes
eating: Breastfeeding, formula, yogurt, bananas, fruit and veggie puree
nicknames: Crewboo, Crewster, Crewby, boo boo, handsome, precious...basically just anything that comes out of our mouths
likes: (loves) baths, talking, smiling, laying on his belly, chewing on his hands/trying to stuff his whole fist in his mouth, bananas, being outside, going on walks, chewing on his toes, his Nana!
dislikes: being hungry, sleepy or getting his clothes changed

Crew's set up to sleep in his crib didn't last very long because it started wanting to roll to his belly. I was paranoid to actually let him sleep on his stomach though. I was scared he would bury his face into the sheet and not be able to breathe. Crew's always had strong neck muscles so I don't know why I let it worry me so. Anyway, Will finally tested out letting him sleep on his belly for a nap and we haven't looked back since!

We also went to Nashville this weekend to celebrate our 4 year anniversary. We LOVE going to Nashville for a quick weekend getaway. Crew came with us and he was perfect. No surprise! We got a hotel with a king size bed instead of taking the Pack n' Play and it was great. We really enjoyed meeting up with some friends in Franklin for lunch on Saturday and visiting a church in Chapel Hill on Sunday where Will's good friend is the Pastor. A great weekend overall!

On the 3 hour drive to Nashville, Crew found his feet! He chewed on them all weekend!

At 23 weeks, Crew started eating bananas out of the mesh feeder (which quickly got trashed because those things are IMPOSSIBLE to clean)! He loves it, but it makes such a mess. He also started sucking on his bottom lip and it is hilarious. It just makes his chubby cheeks stick even more and he looks like a little chipmunk!

This was a rough week and we thought he may be teething. He wasn't sleeping much during his naps and just was cranky this week. When I checked out the Wonder Weeks app, there was a storm cloud on this particular week so that theory may have some truth behind it!

He started sticking his tongue out all the time...just another funny thing he does!

(Here he is sucking on his lip like mentioned above)

He really started paying attention to the dogs this week. He laughs hysterically when Remi barks or growls (when playing). Guess he'll never be afraid of dogs!

He's also eating yogurt and mashed bananas all the time now!

We experienced sleep regression this week. I kept thinking he was teething...but still no teeth. It's been hard to get used to lack of sleep again after he had been sleeping all night!

He also stretched his time between feedings to 4 hours for the most part! Yay Crewboo!

Hopefully I'll get month 7 posted before he turns 8 months!!

crew | five months

Crew turned 5 months on March 3rd. Better late than never, right? 

I MAY have taken his 5 month photo only days before he turns 6 months. Oops. Basically his 5 and 6 month photos will look the exact same.

I have loved this past month with Crew better than the previous 4...each month gets better and better as his huge personality shines through. I just can't get enough!

weight: about 21 lbs

length: at 4 month appointment, 26.25 inches

clothes: mostly 9 months and up. Pajamas are 12 months, he also fits into some 18 months onesies. He basically just skipped the 6-9 month clothes.

diapers: size 3 in disposables and wearing OS cloth

hair color: he's our little blondie

eye color: blue-ish...seems to be turning green/brown like Will's eyes

eating: breastfeeding and formula - since going back to work it has been so hard to keep my supply up. I tried pumping at work, but it's just not the same. (Not to mention, it's annoying!) So I nurse him in the morning, at lunch, dinner and before bed. He's also getting oatmeal in a nighttime bottle which has really helped him to sleep longer. We jumped right in with carrots at 4 months and Crew hated them. Then we tried bananas. Nope. I'm sure it was just the texture. That's when we ended up going backwards and starting easy with oatmeal. Since then, he's eaten avocados and loved them. He also LOVES his Munchkin fresh food feeders with bananas in them. He'll usually eat half a banana when he has those.

nicknames: Crewboo, Crewster, Crewby, boo boo, handsome, precious...basically just anything that comes out of our mouths

likes: (loves) baths, riding in the car, talking, smiling, being able to look around and see what's going on, being read to, laying on his belly, chewing on his hands/trying to stuff his whole fist in his mouth, singing, bananas, being outside, going on walks, chewing on his toes

dislikes: being hungry or sleepy

Crew has started getting SO distracted while nursing, especially when I come home to feed him for lunch. If he hears Will talking somewhere in the room or the house he's got to whip his head around to see what's going on. It's pretty funny, but can end up taking twice as long to finish. At lunch all he wants to do is grin at me which is the cutest. thing. ever.

He's also started shrieking all the time. It's hilarious. He's not mad or sad, he just yells. He found his voice, that's for sure!

We started adding oatmeal to his bottles at night to help him sleep longer and it worked. After failing with carrots we back-tracked to oatmeal.

Crew's first Valentine's Day! Crew and Daddy cooked me a surprise dinner for when I got home from work and had even gone to Target together to get me some goodies. Can't go wrong with Target!

Crew and I are gearing up for Will to leave for Serbia at 20 weeks. It's going to be a hard week without him, but we'll make it!

He is SO good at putting his paci in his mouth. He rarely uses one, only when he's sleepy. So if it's in his mouth and he's not sleepy he will pop it right out to chew on all the edges and put it back in correctly when he's ready.

Will has been gone to Serbia this week and we sure have missed him. My parents were over a lot during the week because we were re-doing our office as a surprise to Will. My mom (aka Lolly) spent the night 3 times to help with Crew. It was so nice to have her there so I could get a full night's rest. It made all the difference!

Crew spends his days with my mom (Lolly), Will's mom (Grangie) and my grandmother (Nana). Nana keeps him the most, anywhere from 2-3 days a week. Crew loves them all, but he LOVES Nana so much. He gets so excited when she comes over and is always such a happy little baby for her and when we get home. I was always close to my great grandmother (Nana's mom) so it makes me so happy that Crew has such a sweet relationship with his great grandma. There are so many similarities between Mamaw and Nana, that it's no wonder Crew is so crazy about her! We are so blessed that he gets to spend so much time with his grandmothers!

Crew loves sucking on his bottom lip! It's hilarious and just makes his chubby cheeks even chubbier!